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Chapter 98: Accomplice
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The True Nature Series Chapter 99: What the Shrink?
THE DAY WASN'T EVEN half over before a shiny new number pad decorated the wall of our entry hall. Dad had a friend in the home security business who expedited the installation of the new alarm system. Tomorrow the installers would return to take care of the windows.Dad called in more than one favor. He also had a buddy who worked at the Santa Cruz police department's K-9 unit. They had a retired police dog who needed a home. They said he'd be great for home security. I texted fast and furiously with my friends. The news of our trip to the police station had already saturated the student body. To make matters worse, the homeroom teachers announced that the police were looking for Dante and asked the students to pass any information about him to the office or the school counselor. Rumors were flying about Dante's possible crimes, including the death of Mrs. Jackson. And since Bobby and "yours truly" were MIA at school, we were also at the heart of the gossip. Even Isaac had been pepp
The True Nature Series Chapter 100: Woman to Woman
WITH FLUTTERING HANDS, I forced my cement legs toward the living room. The woman angled herself toward me as I trudged forward. When her hazel eyes met mine, they seemed to flash yellow-orange for the briefest of moments, so brief, I wondered if I'd imagined it. When she smiled, I felt a sense of awareness sweep over me, like something inside of me recognized part of her. How odd. I'd never met the woman before, and the instant comfort I felt with her had my senses on full alert. There were too many individuals in Scotts Valley lately with unusual abilities to not get suspicious. Although my stomach muscles squeezed in protest and my hands felt sweaty, I stepped forward to shake her hand."Tru," Dad said with a hint of warning in his voice. "This is Dr. Frankler, the new counselor from school." I limply clasped hands with her. She smiled. "It's so nice to meet you, Tru," she said, shaking my hand like it was a piece of china."Thanks. Nice to meet you, too." Dad nodded approvin
The True Nature Series Chapter 101: Diarrhea of the Mouth
DR. FRANKLER SMOOTHED OUT her expression before addressing me. "Tru, I'd be happy to talk to you about anything you need. That is my job, after all."I swallowed hard. "Okay.""But," she said. "Can we discuss Dante first?"When I nodded, she continued. "How did you meet him?""At lunch. He was hanging out with Bobby. I really didn't ... I mean, I don't know Dante at all. He was Bobby's friend." I felt more relaxed all of the sudden, that feeling of connecting with the doctor enveloping me again. Before I could become suspicious, words streamed from my mouth like a plane on autopilot."He was weird to me. I even thought he called me a dummy once. I mean who says that? But he actually said idimmu--" I slapped a hand on my mouth. What was I saying? I tried to laugh it off. "Um, which is strange, right?"Dr. Frankler stiffened, but she simply nodded for me to continue."Anyway, I got a ride home last Monday with him and Bobby because Dad couldn't pick me up and I didn't want to wa
The True Nature Series Chapter 102: Pandora's Jar
MY FOURTH GRADE TEACHER had been a fan of Greek mythology and he'd told us many of their stories. "I think so," I said, trying to mentally calculate how long this conversation needed to be to convince Dad we'd had our little heart-to-heart conversation. "It has something to do with curiosity, right?""You're correct, Tru. It starts out as an origin story, explaining how humans came to this earth."I picked at my nails absently. "Like Adam and Eve?""Yes, but unlike Christians, the Greeks believed in many gods. Pandora's box was originally called Pandora's jar, but somewhere down the line of storytellers it changed."Despite my reluctance, I found that tidbit of information fascinating."It could have been something similar to your mother's jar," she said. "I have one like it in my office at school. I guess your mother and I had a common interest. You're welcome to stop by if you'd like to see it," she invited, but I refused to take the bait and remained silent. "Anyway, I'm su
The True Nature Series Chapter 103: Mom's Secrets
"HOW DO YOU LIKE school, Tru?" asked the doctor, changing the subject and setting off alarm bells in my head.Here it goes, I thought to myself. She thought she'd softened me up with that story and therefore, I'd tell her anything now. Nope. I wasn't that easy."I like it," I replied. "Well, the school part. Last year I was kind of out of it, but I'm better this year.""Do you have problems with anyone at school?" Her eyes drilled into me."No, I mean, mostly no." Once again, I wanted to sew my lips closed. Dr. Frankler smiled. "If you didn't have any problems with other students, Tru, you would be the only one. Trust me.""Well, I try to avoid the people that bug me." Namely Zena, I thought. "So, it's not so bad.""And your friend, Ruthie Robles, how long have you known her?""Since we were little kids," I said, wondering how she knew I was her friend. "We've been best friends forever. She's pretty much my only friend." No, that wasn't true anymore. A warm glow blossomed in m
The True Nature Series Chapter 104: BFF Therapy
IT FELT LIKE AN eternity before Ruthie arrived. Her parents followed her into the house, their arms full of food. I was grateful for the reprieve from Dad's not so subtle questions about Dr. Frankler and what we'd discussed. Our parents visited in the kitchen while Ruthie and I hustled upstairs to my bedroom.As soon as my door shut, she dropped her bags and pushed me into the Black Hole. The beanbag squished as I settled in."Free from my crazy family for another night!" She sighed loudly as she grabbed a few pieces of clothing from the messy floor and shoved them under my door, saying, "Just in case our voices carry ..." We both jumped as an object slammed into my bedroom window. I crawled my way across the floor after Ruthie, who looked ready to grapple with the devil. "What was that?" I asked, rising to peek through the side of the window."Pfft!" A burst of irritation flew out of Ruthie's mouth as she hauled herself up. "I should have known they wouldn't listen."She raise
The True Nature Series Chapter 105: Fort Knox
THE ENCHILADA CASSEROLE RESTED on the counter untouched when we went downstairs, evidence that Dad was out of sorts. He sat at the table reading over the documentation for the new alarm system. "Hey Dad, want me to get you a plate?" I asked."That would be great," he said without looking our way. He walked over to the new panel beside our front door and pressed a couple buttons. A British female voice indicated that our doors and windows were secure. I panicked."Uh, Dad. I thought they were coming back tomorrow to wire the windows. You know I like to sleep with the window cracked."He punched in a set of numbers and the woman's voice responded again, stating that the system was disarmed. Dad smiled with satisfaction, glancing my way."They're scheduled for tomorrow, but don't worry. The upstairs windows aren't wired. Besides, we won't alarm the windows most of the time."I sighed with relief and shot Ruthie a meaningful look. She jiggled her eyebrows and started grabbing plat
The True Nature Series Chapter 106: Zinty
I MADE SURE THAT I heard Dad snoring before I texted Zander to give him the "all clear." Before that, there had been more than enough time to do our homework, pick out our clothes for school tomorrow, and even tidy up my room. After homework, we'd moved on to the traditional sleepover activities, painting nails, fixing hair and boy talk. She had described her idea of the perfect school dance with the perfect guy. Her imagination made me laugh. I could have told her to stop dreaming, but I didn't want to squash her dream. So, I'd let her gush while making approving noises. She had gradually transitioned into going to Homecoming with Maverick and how great that was going to be, even though I hadn't asked him yet. When she spent almost an hour on her makeup and hair, I started calling her "Sophia Loren" again because she had that hot Latin look going on with dark, smoky eyes and thick, wavy brown hair. Although her parents were Hispanic and had rich cocoa tans year-round, her skin was m
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The True Nature Series Chapter 230: The Promise
ZANDER WAS STILL GROGGY, and I helped him lean up against the railing of the general store. I wanted to stay with him, but another problem had cropped up. Polaris was trying to move Dad, and Knox wouldn't let them. No one wanted to risk getting close to his teeth and I feared they might try to drug him or something worse. I sighed and pushed myself up."I'll be right back," I told Zander.I headed across the road and carefully approached the growling Knox. "Hey there, buddy," I said in a soothing voice. "You still have me, remember?" I reached out my hand, letting it hang in the air like Dad had taught me the first time Knox and I had met. Knox's ears flattened, and he whined as he pressed his nose into my fingers. If dogs cried, I'd say Knox was crying now. His eyes looked sticky wet. I ran a hand down his neck, coaxing him off Dad's body and toward me. With a hand on his collar, I eased the two of us several feet away, allowing the others to move Dad. When his limp head dropped t
The True Nature Series Chapter 229: Picking Up the Pieces
BOTH POLARIS AND THE Efotis arrived within minutes of each other. The folks from Polaris had found several locals disabled or dead outside the park, as well as two empty police cars. Someone must have called the authorities about the gunshots or the helicopters. Others had probably been curious enough to investigate the noise themselves. The Nasaru had silenced them before they could see anything. With heavy faces, Polaris began searching the perimeter for more victims and loading up bodies on stretchers to take them away. When the Efotis arrived, Caroline rushed up to me, her eyes wide and desperate. She grabbed me and hugged me like she was never letting go. Despite my reluctance to admit she was my mother, I found her arms comforting. It just felt right. Thaddeus stood as still and straight as a fencepost watching us with soft but wary eyes. I completely understood. My reintroduction to Caroline had been rocky. In fact, it had been like meeting her for the first time, because I'
The True Nature Series Chapter 228: Of One Mind
THADDIE AND I JUMPED away from each other, our eyes wide as saucers. "Shanna!" I breathed out in surprise. But her voice had faded away. "What the heck?" Once again, I'd lost my connection to her."Your eyes turned blue," said Thaddeus with surprise. "Does that happen often? Was that our sister?"I pressed my lips together, frustrated that we'd been so close to talking to her. "Yes, it was Shanna. But she's gone now. Dang it." He opened his mouth to say something else, but I beat him to it. "Wait. Did you just say my eyes turned blue?" "Yes," he answered, looking at me strangely.I thought my eyes had done that before, too, when I'd heard a strange voice. But at the time, I'd convinced myself that it was my imagination. Did this happen every time she talked to me? I held out my hands to Thaddeus, hoping that together we could bring her back. He looked at my outstretched arms with confusion."Just testing a theory," I said. "Take my hands. Maybe we need to be in physical conta
The True Nature Series Chapter 227: Retreat
"THADDIE!" I choked out."You know him?" asked Maverick in surprise.I huffed out a deep breath as we heaved another dead body off his wing."Yes," I said, giving him a watery smile. "He's my brother."Maverick stared at me slack-jawed. After tonight I didn't think anything could surprise him. "You're kidding," he muttered."Yeah, I was going to tell you about him. Turns out, the other sharum guy was my biological father. Is," I corrected, reminding myself that if they took him, he must still be alive."The other guy with Dr. Frankler?""Yeah, I know," I nodded. "Just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder."Maverick grunted an agreement.I examined Thaddie, who still struggled with consciousness. "Let's carry him to a brighter area. It will be easier to help him there."Together, we maneuvered him onto Maverick's back. Amid grunts and gasps, he carried Thaddie to the center of the main street and set him down near Zander, who was still unconscious and oblivious to the
The True Nature Series Chapter 226: The Aftermath
I GAVE MAVERICK A wan smile. "There're gone," I sighed, standing up to move wearily to the next body. Kneeling by the woman from Polaris, I gently closed her eyes. There was no fixing her. The other Polaris soldiers were no better. The rest were Gerard's men. My heart pounded, knowing I'd have to face my dad's body now. I dragged myself to my feet and looked toward Dad. A furry head rested on top of his chest. I ran over to them, wondering how Knox could still be alive, not to mention how he had moved. As I dropped next to them, Knox whined softly. I bent over to press my head against his. "Oh, Knox. You're okay," I wept, running my hands along his fur. Blood matted in several spots, but I couldn't find any injuries. Shaking my head at the miracle, I hugged him. "I know, boy," I crooned. "Dad isn't ... he's not waking up. But you still have me." Knox's tail pounded on the dirt, but he remained pressed against Dad.I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Maverick. "I'm
The True Nature Series Chapter 225: Just Like Dante
THE CIRCLE OF SOLDIERS tightened around us, drawing my attention away from my disappearing friends. Zander pulled me to his back, spinning us around as we faced their weapons. It quickly became clear that even with our abilities, we wouldn't be able to overpower them. "Tru," Zander said, mind-speaking. "This is going to hurt, but you can heal yourself. Protect your head." "What?" I barely had a chance to gasp before he grabbed me, lifted me up in the air, and threw me over the heads of the soldiers. I cleared them by at least five meters and landed in a dense thicket near the line of trees. Branches jabbed me, cutting my skin and shredding my already ruined dress.I groaned. What the heck did Zander think he was doing? I started to crawl out of the bushes and yelped when I felt a sharp pain in one hand. It felt wrong, like broken wrong. Looking up, I saw a few of the soldiers peel away from the circle around Zander and head toward me. "Run!" Zander yelled in my mind.The path
The True Nature Series Chapter 224: From the Frying Pan ...
I GASPED, RECOGNIZING Gerard's creepy grin. "No! It can't be!"He laughed, throwing back his head and clasping his hands together. "You've done me a favor, my dear. I may have lost my mate." A fleeting look of sorrow crossed his face. "Trust me, you'll pay for that. But now I have an even more powerful aramusatu, one that will link you and me together forever." He laughed again, and then held out his hand. "Join me, Tru. You belong with your family."I gagged and stepped away. Had I only made things worse by killing Gerard? "No!" I yelled. I felt the world caving in as Wynona's words flitted through my mind. She's a soul jumper. At that time, she'd meant Ruthie. But apparently, she wasn't the only one. Somehow, Gerard Hughes's spirit had taken over Peter's body. I had a feeling that I'd just leaped from the frying pan into the fire."What happened to Peter?" Gerard's eyes swirled, shifting to yellow slits. He squeezed them shut and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, they w
The True Nature Series Chapter 223: Backfire
OBVIOUSLY, I WAS A healer. But I was definitely no savior. But what about destroyer?The thought of that destiny had filled me with dread before, but now I wanted it so badly that everything but my enemy faded away. I wished I could channel my healing ability into a weapon. Then it struck me. If I could heal wounds why couldn't I un-heal them? I stared at my hands, wondering if it was possible. A dark feeling swirled inside me, like attempting such a thing was straight up wrong, but as Gerard stepped closer to Ruthie, and as Zander continued to bleed out, I knew I had to do something. With shaking hands, I laid Dad's head on the ground. It was too late for him but I might be able to help the others. A fiery rage whipped up inside of me and my eyes locked onto Gerard. He wore a demented look of his own as he considered the chaos around us. I took off toward him. When I was almost upon him, he saw me and pulled out his gun. I plowed forward anyway and tackled him, sending the weapon f
The True Nature Series Chapter 222: Inconceivable Choice
I YANKED AWAY FROM the guard holding me and ran back to Zander, who gasped, "I'll be fine, Tru. Go to him." I knew he meant my dad and that he'd realized the same thing I had. Ignoring the guns pointed at me, I rushed toward Dad and Knox. Donavitch was grinning at me, clearly enjoying my terror, and Knox was barking out a warning to Mrs. Taylor as she pointed her gun at Dad. "Look out, Dad!" He looked from me to Mrs. Taylor and flinched when he saw the gun pointing at him. "No, Eleria!" yelled Mr. Taylor.Crack!In the blink of an eye, two bodies fell to the ground. At the last second, Mr. Taylor had raced after his wife and thrown his body in front of my dad. They both went down. I fell to the ground next to Dad, frantically searching for his wound. A bright red stain in the center of his blue flannel shirt expanded to the size of my hand within seconds. Had the bullet gone through Mr. Taylor and Dad? Of course! The gun had been loaded with cutters, the Nasaru's usemi-killin
